The FIA has confirmed that Max Verstappen's gearbox has not been replaced on the Red Bull driver's RB16B following his impact with the wall in qualifying in Jeddah.

The Dutchman will therefore start his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix p3 as planned.

Verstappen's costly mistake in Saturday's shootout likely deprived him of pole position but it also sparked a wave of worries in his team regarding potential damage inflicted on his car's transmission.

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko had warned after qualifying that the Milton Keynes-based outfit's crews would undertake a gearbox change if there was a "glimpse" of damage.

But apparently, a comprehensive check has not revealed any issues.

However, there's always the risk of an unidentified gremlin lurking in the transmission's casing, as was the case for Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who had crashed in qualifying at Monaco but had nevertheless started on pole only to retire on his lap to the grid.

The FIA's note also lists a series of parts that were replaced on Verstappen's car, in accordance with Parc Fermé rules.

The team replaced the RB16B's front wing and nose assembly, a rear trackrod, the top and lower wishbones, the upright assembly, the gaitor and the PAS rack, as well as rear brake materials.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Piastri salvages silver ling despite Madrid misery

Spain was supposed to be a weekend of consolidation for McLaren, but for Oscar Piastri,…

2 hours ago

Audi junior Slater lands 2027 F2 seat with powerhouse Invicta

Freddie Slater’s rapid rise through the junior ranks is taking another significant step forward, with…

3 hours ago

Lawson opens up on the ‘tricky’ challenge of Red Bull double duty

Liam Lawson has spent the past three Formula 1 weekends with an unusual problem: preparing…

4 hours ago

Mekies defends Verstappen order: ‘Better to take the pain’

Laurent Mekies says Red Bull had little choice but to order Max Verstappen to hand…

6 hours ago

A wet-to-dry masterclass performance at Spa, à la Senna

On this day in 1985, Ayrton Senna won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, skillfully…

7 hours ago

Vasseur: ‘Staying on track made no sense’ for Hamilton

Ferrari’s decision to pull Lewis Hamilton out of the Spanish Grand Prix after just seven…

8 hours ago